From the largest collection of shoes to the one and only wild turkey museum – there are some super quirky museums in this world that are just waiting to be discovered. Here are five of the weirdest, most wonderful museums in North America you need to check out right now.
J’s Tea-rific Teapot Museum: 5,000 Teapots, High Tea and a Good Cause
Elloree, South Carolina There are teapots for days at
J’s Tea-rific Teapot Museum in Elloree, South Carolina. Here, you’ll find a collection of 5,001 teapots – highlighted by a ginormous 20-foot blue teapot (with more teapots inside)! During your visit, experience High Tea, which consists of hot tea, iced tea, three courses (including homemade scones) and a selection of sweets. You can choose the teacup you’d like to use and which hat you’d like to wear. Even better, all proceeds go to local animal rescue center For All Paws.
Photo Credit: Discover South Carolina
Bata Shoe Museum: A Shoe Lover’s Paradise
Toronto, Canada The
Bata Shoe Museum is home to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of shoes and footwear-related objects. At present, the permanent collection contains artifacts from virtually every culture in the world, reflecting over 4,500 years of history. Where else could you find Queen Victoria’s ballroom slippers under the same roof as John Lennon’s Beatle boot?
Photo Credit: Bata Shoe Museum
The Museum of Miniature Houses: The Midwest’s Most Marvelous Miniatures
Carmel, Indiana The
Museum of Miniature Houses contains thousands of miniatures, including room boxes, miniature houses, and exquisite individual items. You can purchase a pre-made dollhouse or purchase a kit to build it yourself. You can even buy them fully furnished. The museum also offers scavenger hunts to help visitors navigate the thousands of items on display.
Photo Credit: Hamilton County Tourism
The Wild Turkey Center: Going Wild In South Carolina
Edgefield, South Carolina The
Winchester Museum (and Wild Turkey Center) is the national headquarters of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). It’s the ONLY museum in the world dedicated to wild turkey restoration, management and hunting. Visitors can step inside the world’s largest turkey call, take a virtual ride in a retired USDA Forest Service helicopter, listen to animated characters talk about the history of the wild turkey, play a laser hunting game and more.
Photo Credit: Discover South Carolina
American International Rattlesnake Museum: The World's Largest Collection of Rattlers
Albuquerque, New Mexico The
American International Rattlesnake Museum, owned and operated by Bob Myers, boasts the LARGEST collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world. Myths are explored, phobias cured, and mysteries revealed at this must-see Museum of the Southwest.
Photo Credit: Visit Albuquerque
Underwater Museum of Art: Diving For Art
South Walton, Florida Dive the
Underwater Museum of Art (UMA), the country’s first and only permanent underwater museum, which opened last summer off the coast of Grayton Beach. Though super visually appealing, the museum’s main purpose is to act as an artificial reef, enhancing the marine environment in the area. The sculptures quickly attract a wide variety of marine life and, over time, will transform into a living reef. Seven works were deployed last summer, and this past summer a second exhibit was deployed featuring 10 new works. Among the new sculptures is “
I found it”, which is a 6-7' tall diamond ring composed of stainless steel and concrete, and one of a woman looking at herself in a mirror with the words "Love Thyself" written above.
